Start Date: August 18
End Date: August 26
Feast Day: August 27
Patronage:
Saint Monica is the patron saint of mothers, wives, widows, abuse victims, and those struggling with addiction, especially invoked for the conversion of children and perseverance in prayer.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer (to be said each day):
Exemplary mother of the Great Augustine, you perseveringly pursued your wayward son not with wild threats but with prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our days so that they may learn to draw their children to God.
Teach them how to remain close to their children, even the prodigal sons and daughters who have sadly gone astray.
Dear St. Monica, troubled wive and mother, many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetimes. Yet, you never despaired or lost faith. With confidence, persistence, and profound faith, you prayed daily for the conversion of your beloved husband, Patricius, and your beloved son, Augustine.
Grant us that same fortitude, patience, and trust in the Lord. Intercede for us, dear St. Monica, that God may favorably hear our pleas for (mention your petitions here) and grant us the grace to accept His will in all things, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father (3) Hail Mary (3) and Glory Be (3)
St. Monica, pray for us.
Day One: Persevering Prayer for Conversion
Scripture Reading:
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
Reflection:
The long years of St. Monica’s tears for her son remind us that Our Adorable Jesus hears even the most hidden sighs of the heart. Sometimes, heaven’s answer delays not because God is deaf to our cries, but because His love is working a deeper transformation—both in the soul we pray for and in our own. In every season of waiting, Jesus draws us into His own patient, interceding Heart, where no prayer is wasted, and every tear is gathered. Trusting in His timing is itself an act of love.
Prayer:
Remember dear St. Monica, the joy that flooded your heart when Augustine, the son of your prayers and tears, turned his life over to the Lord. Please present our novena petitions before God in whose presence you stand. Obtain for us, if it be His holy will, the graces we request through your intercessory power, that we may experience the happiness of answered prayer. Amen.
Day Two – Faithfulness Amid Temptation
Scripture Reading:
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
Reflection:
In a world where the voice of Our Adorable Jesus is often drowned out by the clamor of false promises, the vocation of parents becomes a sacred battle of love. St. Monica reminds us that the deepest protection we can give our children is not merely earthly security, but the shield of intercessory prayer and the witness of steadfast faith. Our prayers, joined to Christ’s own, form an unseen fortress around their souls, guiding them back to the path of life even when their steps falter. In this way, we mirror the patient, pursuing love of God Himself.
Prayer:
Great St. Monica, patroness of fathers and mothers, please take our children, especially those who have turned from the ways of God and His Church, under your protection. Let them always remain faithful to their baptismal vows. Give them strength to walk always in the ways of the Lord, despite the temptations and false values they find in the world today. Grant that they may share with you in the joys of eternal life in God. Amen.
Day Three: Peace in God’s Will
Scripture Reading:
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)
Reflection:
The peace of the saints is not the absence of struggle, but the quiet strength that flows from trusting in the will of Our Adorable Jesus. St. Monica’s joy at seeing her prayers answered was matched by her readiness to leave this world, knowing she had fulfilled her mission of love. Her serenity teaches us that our life’s work is not to control every outcome, but to surrender each burden into God’s hands. When we accept His timing, even after years of tears, we discover the unshakable peace that carries us to our eternal home.
Prayer:
O glorious St. Monica, after a lifetime of tearful prayers, fasting, and sacrifice, you were at last granted the happiness of witnessing both your husband’s and son’s conversion. After your son Augustine returned to the faith, you said: “God has granted this to me in more than abundance. What am I still doing here?” A few days later, you died happily at peace with God and His world. Grant us that same peace, faith, and acceptance of God’s will, that we may live all our years in serenity and go joyfully to our heavenly home, secure in the knowledge of eternal salvation. Amen.
Day Four : Persevering Prayer in Family Trials
Scripture Reading:
“Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)
Reflection:
The heart of a mother or wife often bears silent wounds—burdens carried in secret prayer before Our Adorable Jesus. St. Monica knew these sorrows well, enduring years of misunderstanding and heartache. Yet she recognized her family not as obstacles, but as a sacred mission entrusted by God. Her tears became intercessions, and her steadfast love was the vessel through which grace flowed into the hearts of her husband and son. In our own families, we too are called to this holy perseverance, trusting that God’s timing will bring the fruit of conversion and peace.
Prayer:
O glorious St. Monica, you see in our world today mothers and wives who are suffering much for their husbands and children. You know how they feel because you yourself endured the same trials, yet persevered because you believed your husband and child were sacred challenges God entrusted to you. You suffered, and you prayed for them without ceasing until God touched their hearts. Grant us the same perseverance and faith so that we, too, may move the heart of God. Amen.
Day Five : Sacrifice and Unity in Families Separated by Distance
Scripture Reading:
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
Reflection:
Love often asks for sacrifices that stretch the heart. Our Adorable Jesus, who left Heaven to dwell among us, understands the ache of separation. Many mothers today labor in faraway lands, enduring loneliness to provide for their children’s future. St. Monica, who knew both the burden and the hope of persevering love, reminds us that no distance is too great for the bonds of faith and prayer. In God’s providence, even absence can become a channel of grace, knitting families together in spiritual closeness until reunion comes.
Prayer:
O glorious St. Monica, we present to you the stories of many mothers working abroad in search of a better life for their families. They sleep daily remembering husbands and children, longing to be near their loved ones, yet sacrificing so their children may go to school and have a brighter future. Protect these mothers and inspire their children to study hard. Intercede that husbands and children may learn to communicate and bridge the distance among them. May the miles between them never hinder a truly happy family life. Amen.
Day Six : Heaven as Our True Home
Scripture Reading:
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus reminds us that no earthly triumph can compare to the joy of eternal life. St. Monica’s heart was set on heaven, not on passing honors or fleeting applause. She prayed, traveled, and sacrificed tirelessly so her loved ones would share in the eternal banquet of God. Her focus teaches us that our greatest ambition should be to lead our families toward salvation, allowing the light of heaven to guide our choices on earth. True success is measured not by our fame here, but by our readiness to meet Christ when He calls us home.
Prayer:
O glorious St. Monica, you labored for the conversion of your husband and son because you longed for their eternal life. Heaven was your obsession, and you crossed distances and prayed without ceasing so your family might be united forever in Christ. Earthly success did not entice you, even when Augustine was renowned for his eloquence and intellect—you sought instead the glory of heaven. Hear our petition, that the thought of heaven may guide our lives. Let not worldly achievements blind us, but lead us to Jesus, preparing us for our grand reunion with Him. Amen.
Day Seven : Tears That Move Heaven
Scripture Reading:
“You have recorded my wanderings; You put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?” (Psalm 56:8)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus treasures every tear shed in love and faith. St. Monica’s nights of wakefulness and prayer for Augustine reveal the strength of a heart that refuses to surrender a soul to sin. Her persistence, born of love and grounded in hope, moved heaven itself. Augustine would later call his conversion “her work,” a testament to the mystery of how God allows our sacrifices to be instruments of His saving grace. Like Monica, we are called to keep praying, even when the answer tarries, trusting that no tear of intercession is ever wasted.
Prayer:
O glorious St. Monica, your son Augustine could never forget your tears and prayers, the sleepless nights you spent pleading for his heart to turn to God. You labored in love, and heaven answered with mercy. Now, in glory, you speak to Our Adorable Jesus, who cannot turn away from your petitions. Intercede for us, that our hearts may be converted and our bad habits transformed into virtue. Obtain for us the grace to persevere in prayer until His victory is complete in our lives. A
Day Eight : Prayer as Life’s Highest Calling
Scripture Reading:
“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus draws to Himself the souls who learn to quiet their desires for worldly gain and hunger instead for the riches of heaven. St. Monica, having witnessed Augustine choose the monastic life, rejoiced not in his worldly success, but in his surrender to a life of prayer. She herself longed for that same intimacy with the Lord, finding her joy in His presence. We, too, are called to simplify our needs, quiet the noise of ambition, and make prayer not merely a part of life, but the very air we breathe.
Prayer:
O glorious St. Monica, you rejoiced when your son Augustine embraced a life of prayer and community. You, too, longed for nothing more than to live in close contact with Our Adorable Jesus. Teach us to simplify our lives, to calm our restless hearts, and to release the grip of material desires, that we may enter into the stillness where His voice is heard. Lead us along the path to deep prayer, until it becomes the very heartbeat of our days. Amen.
Day Nine : Purity, Guidance, and the Joy of Spiritual Life
Scripture Reading:
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word.” (Psalm 119:9)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus treasures the innocence and purity of youth, yet in our age, this gift is often endangered by a culture that trivializes both sin and the sacred. St. Monica, your motherly heart would have been moved with compassion for young women and men pressured into responsibilities before their time, and for those whose lives are derailed by choices made without understanding God’s plan for love. You knew the power of prayer to rescue, to heal, and to restore. So, too, we are called to intercede fervently for the young—to help them see that holiness is not a burden but the most radiant joy.
Prayer:
O glorious St. Monica, on this final day of our novena, we entrust to you the young mothers, the unprepared parents, and all youth vulnerable to the snares of sin. Ask Our Adorable Jesus to shield them from temptation, enlighten their minds with truth, and awaken in them the beauty of chastity. Inspire parents, teachers, and mentors to speak with courage about the dignity of life and the sanctity of marriage. Lead the young to discover the freedom of a pure heart and the joy found in the things of God. Amen.
Closing Prayer (to be said each day):
Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of prodigal children. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your children so close to God that you are now with Him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take our requests to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your own children.
(Mention your intentions here)
With your needs, worries, and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, you constantly devoted yourself to Him. Pray for us that we might join you in such a deep faith in God’s goodness and mercy.
Above all, dear Saint Monica, pray for us that we may, like your son, turn from our sins and become great saints for the glory of God.
Litany of St. Monica
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven,
have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God,
have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, conceived without stain of original sin,
pray for us and for our children.
Holy Mary, glorious Mother of Jesus Christ,
pray for us and for our children.
St. Monica,
pray for us and for our children.
Model of wives,
pray for us and for our children.
You who converted your unbelieving husband,
pray for us and for our children.
Mother of St. Augustine,
pray for us and for our children.
Strict and prudent teacher, guardian of your son in all his ways,
pray for us and for our children.
You who carefully watched over his conduct,
pray for us and for our children.
You who were sorely distressed at his erring from the right,
pray for us and for our children.
You who were untiring in your petitions for his soul’s safety,
pray for us and for our children.
You who still hoped on amid the bitterness of your heart and your floods of tears,
pray for us and for our children.
You who were filled with consolation upon his return to God,
pray for us and for our children.
You who died calmly after faithfully fulfilling your duties,
pray for us and for our children.
You who are the prayerful intercessor of all mothers who pray and weep as you did,
pray for us and for our children.
Preserve the innocence of our children,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
Protect them against the deceits of evil men,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
Protect them from the dangers of bad example,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
Protect them from the snares of the spirits of Hell,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
Watch over the movements of grace in their hearts,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
Let the Christian virtues strike deep root in their hearts and bear much fruit,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
Redouble your intercession for youth approaching manhood,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
Obtain for all in mortal sin true contrition and perfect conversion,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
Obtain for all mothers to fulfil their duties steadily and perseveringly,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
Commend all mothers to the protection of the ever-blessed Virgin Mother of Our Lord,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
Favourably incline the heart of your beloved son Augustine to the salvation of our children,
we beseech you, St. Monica.
St. Augustine, holy son of a saintly mother,
pray for us and for our children.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us, O Lord!
V. Pray for us, O holy St. Monica,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
O God, Who observed the devout tears and pleading of St. Monica and granted to her prayers the conversion of her husband and the penitential return of her son Augustine, grant us the grace to implore You also with earnest zeal, so that we may obtain, as she did, the salvation of our own soul and the souls of those belonging to us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
O holy Monica, by your patience and prayers you obtained from God the conversion of your husband and the grace to live in peace with him; obtain for us, we beseech you, the blessing of Almighty God, so that true harmony and peace may reign also in our homes, and that all the members of our families may attain eternal life. Amen.
O holy Monica, by your burning tears and unceasing prayers you saved your son from eternal damnation. Obtain for us the grace ever to comprehend what is most conducive to the salvation of our children, so that we may effectively restrain them from sin and lead them by virtue and piety to Heaven!
Amen.
May the Real Presence of Our Adorable Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament bless and sanctify us, filling our hearts with His love, peace, and grace, now and always. Amen.